Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Frances Edmond joins 2018 Shanghai Writing Program

Michael King
Writers’ Centre

New Zealand
China Friendship Society

Frances Edmond joins
2018 Shanghai Writing Program

Frances Edmond
has been selected as the third New Zealand writer to join the Shanghai Writers’
Association’s International Writing Program. Frances is a Waiheke Island based
writer and reviewer who works across disciplines in film, theatre and
literature. Her project for the residency is to complete a new draft of a
screenplay for a film about Kathleen Hall; an unsung heroine. During the
Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s, this unassuming New Zealand missionary
nurse risked her life to smuggle supplies through enemy lines in aid of
Canadian doctor, Norman Bethune who was appointed by Mao Zedong as Medical
Advisor to the Communist Army. Kathleen’s story is that of a remarkable New
Zealander waiting to be told. Ironically Kathleen is much better known in China
than she is in her native New Zealand.

This opportunity is
available through a partnership between the Michael King Writers’ Centre, the
New Zealand China Friendship Society, the Shanghai Writers’ Association and the
Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Frances says: “I
am both honoured and thrilled. The film project about Kathleen Hall is very
close to my heart and I think it is such an important New Zealand story and
being able to work on a new draft in China is an amazing opportunity”.

Frances will join writers
from Argentina, Spain, Israel, Russia,
USA, and Poland for two months in Shanghai in September and October this year. The writers receive free accommodation in an
inner-city apartment, a small stipend for living expenses and air travel.

Since the exchange began in
2013 three Chinese writers have enjoyed a residency at the Michael King
Writers’ Centre. In 2013 Huo Yan, a young writing star from Beijing, took up
the first Rewi Alley Fellowship and in 2015 acclaimed novelist Xiao Bai from
Shanghai was the second resident and Yin Jian Ling, a poet, essayist, novelist
and literary critic, was last year’s resident . In 2014 Alison Wong was the
first New Zealand writer selected
to join the international writers’ programme in Shanghai – Heidi North Bailey
followed on in 2016.

Michael King Writers’ Centre
Chair Catriona Ferguson says that the exchange with Shanghai provides the
opportunity for New Zealand writers to experience living and writing in a
vibrant part of the world. “We are pleased that our partnership offers this
experience for the benefit of New Zealand writers.”

George
Andrews, Vice President North, NZ China Friendship Society said “Frances will
be a wonderful ambassador for NZ and the NZ China Friendship
Society. Her long career in film, theatre and literature and her
knowledge of China is an ideal background for the Shanghai Residency and
Kathleen Hall was one of the founding members of our society. We're delighted
that thanks to Frances, Kathleen's story will now be better known in China and
New Zealand.”